Textile flexing and abrasion tester



Aug. 22, 1950 Filed Oct. 21, 1944 R. C. CROSS ET AL TEXTILE FLEXING AND ABRASION TESTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 22, `195o` Filed Oct. 21, 1944 mv um R. C. CROSS EI'AL TEXTILE FLEXING AID ABRASION TESTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 22, i950 i 2 UNITED; srArEs PATENT orifice ziassi TEXTILE FLEXNG AND ABBASION TESTER neben c. cross, Riverside, and Waim- Kraun, Oak Park, Ill.,assignors to Scars, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, lll., a corporation of New York A Application ombelzi, i944, serial Np.' ssasss 4` claims. (ci. '1s-r) l The present invention relates to laborato fabric testing devices and is concerned particuany with apparams of this class designed up aeminister wrinkle and abrasion wearing conditions upon a subjective strip of fabric. v

Woven fabrics of cotton, rayon, etc., may be constructed under various conditions of weight and composition to produce variable character- "plastics of resistance to wrinkling, wear, etc. For purposes of determining under laboratory conditions the'individual characteristics of various fabrics, it is proposed to simulate mechanically conditions for inflicting'vflexure, abrasion and other fabric deteriorating influences in orderv to determine the resistance qualities thereofc within a 4comparatively brief time interval and in order to make periodicobservations under laboratory conditions economically. Towards this end, there is proposed herewith a novel design in textile testing apparatus having incorporated adjustments relative to strain, tension and pressure so that there may be obtained various testing effects to be operated under continuous fatigue conditions and in which thetest fabric is held so as to be exposed for observation whilewear and other test operations are perfumed.

A principal object of this invention is tolprovide a continuous power driven mechanism for subjecting a sample strip of textile material to the above prescrib'ed'conditions of wear which will admit of adjustability and variation in its wear administering effects and which may be operated over extensive periods constantly and efficiently.y

In the proposed embodiment, the invention contemplates Abriefly a fabric supporting structure in which a pair of rollers are supported upon a reciprocating rack in a manner which permits of the varying disposition of the rollers between which the material under test is threaded. A power driven assembly operates a crank arm' which, through a connecting rod, drives the rollers to and fro under the guidance of a pairof supporting rods. The entire assembly is mounted upon a rectangular base and the supporting rods extend upwardly and arey at their extremities steadied byguy or stay wires anchored to the supporting base. n

For a more comprehensive understanding oi' the present invention-reference will now. he had to the-accompanying drawings and to the following detailed speciflcation, in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout,` and in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a fabric fatigue 2 testing apparatus having incorporated therein predominant features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus featured in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan sectional view of a journal bracket and guide bar assembly, as in- 'dicated by the line3-3ofFig.l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side sectional view of the mechanical details featured in Fig. 3 and is taken approximately on line 4 4 of Figs. l or 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view taken approximately on line 5-5 of Fig. l, but with the friction rollers of the apparatus disposed in vertical alignment, indicating a condition of adjustment thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, the reference numeral Il designates generally a supporting base which is a rectangular framework that may be made of right angle material covered by a sheet metal vertical wall enclosure. 0n the side horizontal angle bars of the frame Ii lthere are mounted two vertically extending guide rods I2 parallel to each other and each anchored in a supporting base I5 which may be integral with a R5 bracket i6, Fig. 2.

' The uppermost extremities of the two guide rods I2 are received in close fitting openings of a transverse beam i3 and the assembly is held rigid against sideward sway and vibration by means of guy braces or stay rods Il, each one of which consists of a threaded element secured to the base i i, another to the transverse beam i3, and an intermediate turn buckle i1 of the conventional right and left hand threaded design may be drawn up to render the assembly The transverse beam I3, in addition to its function of tying wgether the uppermost extremities of the guide rods I2, serves also as a hanging support through the link bolts yIii for a curtain bar i9 that is received within an endmost lap pocket sewn at one end of a strip of test fabric 2l The other end oi the test fabric is similarly prepared and through the lower lap pocket there projects a similar curtain bar 22, the ends of which extend out beyond the width of the fabric 2l, whereat they are provided with holes for receiving hanger hooks oi a pair of spring scales 23. The lower ends of the scales 23 are hooked into eye bolt elements 24 carried by a transverse beam or angle bar (not shown) supported in the `base il. In this manner, and by regulating the tension through the medium of the wing nuts 2e, a predetermined force may be applied to the test fab- 55 ric 2i as indicated on the spring scales iii.

Before completing the above described suspension, thefabric is first threaded between a pair of cylindrical testing rollers 21 and 29, securely carried upon individual roller shafts 29 and 3|,

which in turn are journaled in the end bearing elements generally designated 32 and 33, Figs. 1, 3 ande. The bearing elements 32 and 33 are similar and symmetrically opposite, each consisting of a principal bearing block 34, Fig. 4, and a pair of bearing caps 35 and 36, which are held down by the cap screws 31 and through which are threaded the adjustment screws 38 which will be discussed later.

Pivotally associated with each block 32 and 33 is a vertical bearing extension 39 through which the guide rods I2 pass slidably. A pin 4I which may be integrally formed with and which extends sidewardly from each element 39 serves as a journal for the pivoted links 42 or 43, whose lower extremities are similarly pivoted in stud pins 44 of a pair of symmetrically opposite crank arms 45 and 46. The latter are secured atk the ends f a power shaft 41 journaled in end bearings 48 and driven through a pulley wheel 49 and belt 5I, by the driving pulley 52 which extends from a gear reduction box 53, Fig. 2, powered by an electric motor 54.

In order to be able to vary the stroke of the roller assembly each crank arm 45 and 46 is provided with a plurality of openings 55 into corresponding ones of which the stud pins 44 may be secured. The bearing block 34 is provided with an adjustment bolt 58 threaded through it and designed to impinge against the surface of a stud pin 51 integrally formed with the journal block 39 that slides on the guide rods l2 and extends through .an appropriate opening in said bearing block 34. -In this manner the position of block 34 may be secured so as to dispose the test rollers 21 and 28 one alongside the other, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 4, or one above the other, as viewed in Fig. 5.

It will be observed that the test fabric 2| in passing between the rollers 21 and 28 either as shown in Fig. or as in Fig; 2 is subjected to a flexure reversal of corresponding variation in degree. This condition is produced because of the opposite manner in which the fabric wraps about the two rollers and of significance in this feature i is the fact of rapid reversal of exure which thereby produces the result of ilexure test in a comparative short period of time.

Under conditions of test featured in Figs. 2

. and 4, a greater amount of surface is brought into contact with the test fabric 2|, than when the subject rollers are disposed in accordance with the illustration of Fig. 5. This affordsv a regulation for determining wear characteristics varying the contact surface area. In addition, by

tightening the cap screws 39 either singly or together, the rollers 21, 28 may be made inert, affording a further means for regulating the test device so as to accentuate the subject under test to abrasion characteristics, whereas with the.

rollers running free, abrasion characteristics are subservient to wrinkle test characteristics.

It is contemplated that the test rollers 21 and A23, which are described as simple cylindrical elements, be covered in various manners by surface materials which have different abrasion characteristics. In this way the testing apparatus may be made to serve with increased eects on the abrasion characteristics. Likewise, these roller surfaces may be treated to reduce the friction characteristic if such should he the desired result.

Du'ring operation the motor 54, through its reduction gear box 53 imparts continuous reciprocal motion to the roller assembly guided on the rods l2 and in accordance with the length of stroke the test fabric 2l is subjected to flexing and/or abrasion until predetermined wear characteristics are observed.

While the present invention has been explained and described with reference to a more or less speciilc embodiment, it is to be understood, nevertheless, that a considerable range of variation and modication may be incorporated without departing from the essential spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly it is not intended to be limited by the details of the accompanying drawings, nor by the specific language in the foregoing description, except as indicated in the hereunto appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a wrinkling and abrasion fatigue testing apparatus, a. pair of guide rods, means for suspending a strip of test fabric intermediate said rods under adjustable tension conditions, a pair of fatigue test. rollers between which said fabric is threaded, said test rollers being journaled in slidable blocks guided upon said rods and including means for retarding said rollers against free rolling action in order to vary the abrasion imparting characteristics to said fabric strip.

2. In a fabric testing machine, means for suspending a strip of test fabric under tension, a. pair of rollers between which said fabric is threaded, guide elements for directing reciprocatory movement of said rollers parallel to said strip, and guide roller journal elements comprising a member slidably supported on each of said guide elements, a journal box pivotally supported on said member and means carried by said box for controlling the freedom of movement of said testing rollers in order to vary the abrasion characteristics imparted to said strip.

3. In afabric testing machine, means for sus,

pending a strip of test fabric under tension, a pair of wrinkle and abrasion testing rollers between which said fabric is threaded, guide means for directing reciprocatory movement of said rollers parallel to said strip, guide roller journal elements comprising a bearing blockslidably supported on each of said guide means, and means for regulating the frictlonal drag of said testing rollers for thereby adjusting the abrasion characteristics imparted to said fabric strip under test.

4. In a fatigue testing apparatus, means for suspending a piece of material comprising a framework having oppositely presented bars and including a pair of spaced parallel tubular guide members, a set of fatigue testing rollers recip- 4 rocable on said tubular guide members and through which said material is threaded. and a mechanism for reciprocating said rollers on said guides for thereby effecting repeated abrarotation for therebyaccentuating' the abrasion component to which said material is subjected.

ROBERT C. CROSS. WALTER KRAUSS.

(References on following page) l Number v Name Date REFERENCES 1,864,413 Bohne 1 June 21, 1932` The following references are of record in the l 1,924,865 Lewis Aug- 29, 1933 me of this patent: 2,106,171 Fogelson Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,291,086 Lessig July 2s, 1942 Numbery Name Date 2,318,506 Lovell May 4, 1943 889,993 Vaughan et a1 June 9, 1908 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,108,928 Nickerson Sept. 1, 1914 Number Country Date 1,482,231 H3518? Jall- 29 1924 lo 315 214 Italy Feb 19 1934 116321591 Dennis June 14, 1927 5181562 Germany Feb' 17; 1931 1,857,669 Sundback May 10, 1932 

